Stag season opens again in Rīga

While the legal deer hunting season in Latvia is short, the stag season is longer... infinitely longer. Unfortunately the first buck of the year was recently spotted in Rīga, in a state of rutting over-excitement and making full use of its seasonal coloration for display purposes: namely, pink tights, pink hoodie with yellow spots and a pair of black knickers disappearing distressingly into the recesses of a more than ample hind quarter.

"On April 26, at 23:19, the staff of the Riga Municipal Police City Video Surveillance Center noticed a group of men who were strolling along Kaļķu Street. One of the men began to pull off his trousers, initially pulling the underpants into his buttocks, and then showing his genitals to those around. The closest patrol car of the Riga Municipal Police was sent to the scene," said the police.

"Meanwhile, the men went into a nearby nightclub. Law enforcement officers entered the nightclub and found the offender on arrival. The man voluntarily went to the operative vehicle, where he admitted that he had affronted passers-by. During the data check, it was found that the offender was a British citizen.

"An administrative offense record of petty hooliganism was imposed and a fine of EUR 70."

Stag parties, mainly from the UK, are an occasional blight on the Latvian capital, where the locals generally prefer their visitors to be both clothed and polite. You can read our annual plea on the subject in our archive.

But this particular stag got off relatively lightly. Stags are frequently shot, stuffed, mounted on the wall and turned into sausages during real hunting season, and by the looks of him, this one could have provided more than enough meat to see several families comfortably through the grilling season.